Multicolor flock printed fabric



MULTICOLOR FLOCK PRINTED FABRIC Filed Au 7, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INENTOR Add ATTORNEY Feb. 6, 1945. H. FOUNTAIN MULTICOLOR FLOCK PRINTEDFABRIC 2 sheets sheet 2 Filed Aug. 7, 1943 i2 BY 2 RNE ATTO

Patented Feb. 6, 1945 MULTICOLOR FLOCK PRINTED FABRIC Harold Fountain,Fall River, Mass., assignor to United Merchants 8; Manufacturers,.lnc.,Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware Application August 7, 1943,Serial No. 497,793

3 Claims.

This invention relates to the art of flock printing.

It is an object of the invention to produce novel color and othereffects in flock printed textiles.

In accordance with the present invention, use is made of the knownelectrostatic. method of orienting flock fibers in producing artificialpile fabrics and before describing the present invention, that processwill be briefly described by reference to the accompanying drawings, inwhich Fig. 1 shows diagrammatically a process of electrostatic flockprinting and in which the fabric I, having been coated with a suitableadhesive in accordance with flock printing technique, is passed overguide roll 2 and under a hopper 3 from which flock is delivered onto theadhesive-treated fabric and caused to adhere thereto in the areasprovided with the adhesive. The fabric then passes over guide roll 4 andbetween spaced electrodes 5 and 5A connected by leads 6 and i to asource of high potential 8 and the ground, respectively. The fabric ithen passes over guide roll 9 and excess flock is removed by anysuitable device indicated generally by III which may be a hood throughwhich excess flock is blown to an accumulation thereof for re-use. Thefabric containing the flock adhering thereto in the desired design isthen passed over guide roll II and thereafter treated to dry or set theadhesive so that the flock becomes permanently anchored therein.

What has just been described is a known process for orienting the flockfibers, and the diagrammatic representation and brief description hereingiven is sufficient to identify that process.

As the fibers pass in spaced relation to the electrodes, they aresubjected to an electric or magnetic field which causes the fibers tobecome substantially erect on the surface of the fabric. The differenceof potential applied to the electrodes 5 and 5A is ordinarily ratherhigh, e. g., of the order of 10,000 to 25,000 volts per centimeter ofelectrode spacing, so that the electric field developed is of sufficientintensity to cause the desired fiber orientation. This process may bereferred to as the electrostatic process for producing imitation pilefabrics.

In accordance with the present invention, use of the process abovedescribed and the principles thereof is made in producing novel effects,particularly multi-color effects, and the invention will be furtherdescribed by reference to Figs. 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings, inwhich Fig. 2 represents a fiock printed marquisette fabric, and Fig. 3is an enlarged fragmentary view a different diameter or denier.

illustrating the structure-of the individual tufts of flock indicatedgenerally at 23.

Referring to Fig. 3, the fiock fibers 20 and 2| are of differentlengths, as shown, and are secured to the fabric by means of adhesive22. The fibers 20 and 2| are oriented so that they are substantiallyperpendicular to the surface of the fabric l. The'fi'bers 20 have adifferent color from the fibers 2|. In the practice of the method of theinvention, the adhesive 22 may be applied to the fabric I in areasconstituting a predetermined design, as for example by means of asuitable stencil, intaglio roll or coating machine, and the fibers 20,2| may extend through the interstices and become oriented, as shown inFig. 3, on both sides of the fabric. It will be noted that the lengthsof fibers of a given or predetermined color are different from thelengths of the fibers having a difierent color. For example, the longfibers 20 may be white and the short'fibers 2| blue. In such a case theblue fibers show up as a blue background against which the white fibersstand out. In some cases it is desirable that the fibers of one colorhave not only a different length from the fibers of another color, butalso In Fig. 3, for example, the white fibers 20 may have a total lengthof about 2.5 millimeters and a diameter of 5.5 deniers and the bluefibers 2i a length of about 1 millimeter and a diameter of about 3.5deniers. The multi-color effect is not obtained where the fibers havethe same length. It is only where the groups of fibers having differentlengths or different average lengths also have different colors, thatthe contrasting color effect is obtained. It will be clear that theinvention is not limited to a two-color or two-shade effect, butincludes as many different colors and shades as may be desired. Inobtaining the vari-colored or multi-color effect it is also necessarythat the fibers be oriented so that they are substantially erect on thefabric. It is not meant that they be precisely perpendicular to thesurface of the fabric, as shown in Fig. 3. It is merely meant that thefibers should all extend in a. general direction transverse to thesurface of the fabric, as distinguished from a, random arrangement.

The preferred method of orienting the fibers of different lengths andcolors preferably involves the use of the so-called electrostaticprocess above briefly described. In using this process, the flockemployed is a mixture containing fibers of a predetermined length andcolor mixed in predetermined proportions with fibers of a differentlength and different color and, as previously stated, the

fibers of a given color may diiler from those of another color not onlyin length but also 'in thickness. For example, one part by weight orvolume of blue rayon flock having a length of,

1 millimeter and a diameter of 3.5 deniers may be mixed with three partsby weight of white rayon flock having a length of 2.5 millimeters and adiameter of 5.5 deniers. It will be clear that numerous other mixturesmay be employed, the particular mixture specified being merely on of agreat many possible variants.

As previously stated, the number of colors is not limited to two but maybe more than two. The mixture is fed through the hopper 3 onto thefabric I previously coated with adhesive and is then passed through anelectric or magnetic field in accordance with the process abovedescribed, the effect of which is to orient the fibers.

' Instead of applying adhesive and flock in predetermined areas, theentire fabric may be treated with flock and adhesive.

The invention is not limited to the treatment of textile fabrics and maybe employed with pliable sheet material in general, e. g., sheet rubber,paper, various polymeric and plastic materials in sheet form, e. g.,cellulose acetate, regenerated cellulose (Cellophane) vinyl polymers andrubber hydrochloride in sheet form.

-I claim:

1. A double-faced, decorative fabric comprising a relatively coarseweave cloth having colored pat- .-a relatively coarse weave cloth havingcolored pattern areas composed of a mixture of flock fibres of diiferentlengths and different colors, said fibres extending through theinterstices of the cloth, adhered thereto and projecting from each faceof the cloth.

3. A decorative fabric presenting on each face thereof identical patternareas composed of flock printed fibres extending through theinterstices,

- of the cloth in a direction substantially normal thereto andprojecting fromeach face thereof.

HAROLD FOUNTAIN.

